Amusement device



Oct. 30, 1962 B. L. FISHER AMUSEMENT DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov.19, 1959 Fig.

Barney L. Fisher INVENTOR.

Oct. 30, 1962 B, L, I E 3,060,634

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Nov. 19, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 7

Barney L. Fisher 1N VEN TOR.

BY WFW United States Patent Okla.

Filed Nov. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 854,102 Claims. (Cl. 46-267) Thisinvention relates generally to amusement devices or toys and moreparticularly to a toy which may be rolled along the ground and whichwill automatically return to the point from which it is initiallyrolled. A childs toy, in order to have maximum utility, must beentertaining and durable. Various means of course may be utilized toentertain the child and captivate his interest. One of these means is tomystify a child by motion of an object so as to arouse his curiosity. Ifthis means is properly employed, a toy of simple construction may berelied on to hold the child engrossed with the device. In view of this,it is the principal object of this invention to provide an amusementdevice which may be rolled forwardly on a flat surface and which willreturn to the initial point of rolling after completion of its forwardmovement.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an amusement devicewhich is relatively simple in construction and accordingly inexpensiveto manufacture. Further, the device is durable and will perform for longperiods Without malfunctioning. However, if a malfunctioning does occur,it is extremely simple to repair the device inasmuch as easy access isprovided to all of the working parts.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an amusementdevice which is attractive in appearance, thereby enhancing theentertaining and captivating effect thereof.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view in section and elevation illustrating arollable toy constructed in accordance with the principles of theinvention and which discloses one embodiment of the overall concept.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective detailing certain of thecomponent parts illustrated in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view showing a modified embodiment of the invention withthe component parts assembled and in normal relationship;

FIGURE 4 is a crosssection taken on the section line 4-4 of FIGURE 3looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is a view in perspective of another modified embodiment of theinvention;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged cross-section taken on the plane of the line6--6 of FIGURE 5 looking in the direction of the arrows;

' 'FIGURE 7' is a view in section and elevation taken on the plane ofthe section line 77 of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 8 is a detail view with parts in elevation illustrating themanner in which the elastic bands are twisted around each other whentensioned.

Briefly and generally described the invention has to do with a rollablehollow housing having openable and closable ends normally closed byattachable and detachable end walls, a plurality of hooks supported, inone manner or another, in the hollow portion of the housing, individualelastic bands confined for simultaneous winding and un- "ice winding inthe area of the hollow portions, certain end portions of the bands beingdetachably joined to their respective hooks, and a weight, said weighthaving an arm and said arm being supported in said hollow portion andoperatively cooperable with the elastic bands rolled along a floor or asimilar supporting and rolling for twisting and tensioning the same whenthe housing is surface.

With initial reference to the embodiment of the invention depicted inFIGS. 58, the numeral 10 generally represents the amusement devicecomprising this invention and including a cylindrical housing ill 2.formed of metal, plastic, or any desirable material. The exteriorsurface of the housing 12 is preferably attractively colored and hasindicia I i thereon. Received on either end of the cylindrical housing12 are circular rubber guards 16 and 18 which act as bumpers to preventthe amusement device 10 from damaging articles, as furniture. On eachend of the cylindrical housing 12 is received a removable flat end wall20 and 22. Cooperative mating endless annular flanges as at 24 and 26are provided respectively on the end walls and ends of the housing forretaining said end Walls removably secured to the housing 12. The endsurfaces or walls 20 and 22 are also preferably colored and preferablyhave indicia 30 on the exterior surface thereof so as to increase theattractiveness of the device.

On the inner surface of each of the end surfaces or walls 20 and 22 aresecured pairs of hooks as 3 2, 34 and 36, 38, a weight 40 is providedand has an arm 42 rigidly secured thereto. The arm 42 has apertures 44and 46 which pass resilient bands 48 and 50 therethrough. The resilientband 48 is secured between hooks 32 and 36 while the resilient band 50is secured between hooks 34- and 38.

In use, when the device 10 is placed on a flat surface, the housing 12may be pushed forwardly so that the housing rolls on the rubber bumpers16 and 13. The weight 40 will tend to remain in the hanging positionillustrated in FIGURES 6 through 8 and accordingly the band 48 and 50will become spiralled or twisted as indicated in FIGURE 8. The bands 48and '50 are flexible and resilient, as of rubber. Accordingly, whentheyare spiralled or twisted as in FIGURE 8, they will have a tendency tountwist and accordingly revert to the parallel disposed positionillustrated in FIGURE 7. In untwisting, the resilient bands cause anopposite reaction on the housing 12 so that the housing will roll in areverse direction so as to return to the point from which it isinitially rolled. .It will therefore be appreciated that the energyoriginally provided by manually rolling the device forwardly is storedin the resiliency of the bands 48 and 50, which release the energy upona cessation of the forward movement of the device. The released energyreverses the amusement device so as to return it to its point of origin.

Attention is now directed to the form of the invention illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2 wherein narrow slits 60 and 62 are provided in the flatdisk-like end surfaces or walls 64 and 66. Flat triangular head members68 and 70 are secured to the ends of an axle or shaft 72 and arereceived or keyed in the slots 60 and 6 2. Accordingly, the shaft 72 isprevented from turning when the amusement device is rolled.Perpendicularly secured to the shaft 721 is a rod 74 having hooked endportions 76 and 78. Further, the shaft 72 is flanged as a it A weight 82has an arm 84 secured thereto with the arm 84 defining a circularopening 86 therein passing shaft 72. Resilient bands 88 and 90 aresecured between the hooked end portions 76 and 78 and the arm 84. Whenan amusement device utilizing this internal construction is rolled, theweight 82 will tend to remain at its lowermost position and the bands 88and 90 will become spiralled or twisted as the housing turns.Accordingly, when the forward motion of the amusement device is halted,the spiralled band will release the energy stored therein to return theamusement device to its point of origin.

The remaining embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGURES 3and 4 wherein housing 112 is illustrated having disk-like removable fiatend surfaces or walls .120 and 122. Projections 124 and 1-26 extendinwardly of the housing 112 on the interior sides of the end surfaces orwalls 120 and 122. The projections 124 and 126 act as bearings for shaft130. Hooks 1 32 and 134 are secured to the shaft while complementalhooks 136 and 1-38 are secured to the circumferential portion of thehousing 112. Bands 140 and 142 extend between the hooks 132, 136 and thehooks 134, 138. The weight 150 has an arm 152 secured thereto with thearm '152 passing shaft 130. A collar 154 is also connected to the arm152 and is provided with a setscrew 156. Accordingly, the setscrew 156is able to secure the arm 152 to the shaft 130. When the housing 112 isrolled, it will revolve around shaft 130 and will be retained in asubstantially fixed position inasmuch as the weight 150 will tend toremain extending downwardly as indicated in FIGURES 3 and 4. The bands140 and 142 will again become spiralled and energy will be storedthereby. When the potential energy stored in the bands 140 and 142 isreleased, the reaction on the housing 112 will return it to the point oforigin as the housing 112 turns about the shaft 130.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that an amusement device hasbeen provided which is attractive and entertaining. Inasmuch as thehousing 112 is to be opaque, the users of the device will be mystifiedas to the source of return power of the housing. Further, inasmuch asthe end surfaces are removable, if by chance either of the resilientbands should break, it may be easily repaired.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles fothe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A toy comprising a hollow rollable housing having an axial shaftspanning the hollow portion of the housing and fixed at its ends todiametrically opposite walls of said housing, a rod confined in saidhollow portion and fixed between its ends to an end portion of saidshaft, said rod having its lengthwise axis disposed at right angles tothe lengthwise axis of said shaft and having equal half-portionsprojecting equal distances beyond diametrically opposite sides of saidshaft and terminating at free outer ends in elastic band anchoring andretaining hooks, a counterweight, an arm fixed at one end to saidcounterweight, said arm being disposed at right angles to said shaft andhaving a median portion mounted for free rotation on said shaft, 2.first rubber band on one side of the shaft with one end attached to oneof said hooks and the other end attached to an end of said arm remotefrom said counterweight, and a second rubber band located on adiametrically opposite side of :the shaft and having one end attached tothe other hook and the other end attached to said arm between thecounterweight and said shaft.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, and in combination, a flange fixedon said shaft adjacent to and parallel with said arm and interposed inthe space between the ends of said rubber bands which are attached tosaid arm.

3. A toy comprising a hollow elongated housing adapted to roll along asurface such as a floor or the like, said housing having closed endsprovided centrally with axially aligned slots, a horizontal axial shafthaving headed end portions with the heads anchored against relativerotation in the slots, a weight having a rigid arm rotatably mountedintermediate its ends on a portion of the shaft and disposed at rightangles to said shaft, elastic bands having corresponding end portionsoperatively but removably connected with said arm, and hooking meanscarried by said shaft and having hooks, adjacent end portions of theelastic bands disposed on diametrically opposite sides of said shaft,removably attached to their respectively cooperable hooks.

4. A rollable toy adapted to roll on a floor or an equivalent surfaceand comprising a hollow housing provided in its hollow portion with anaxial shaft, the ends of said shaft being fixed to end walls of saidhousing, a weight having an arm, said arm being mounted for rotationintermediate its ends on a portion of said shaft, a rod at right anglesto and rigidly connected intermediate its ends with an end portion ofsaid shaft, said rod being provided at opposite free ends with bandattaching hooks, and a pair of elastic bands having corresponding endportions detachably connected to their respective attaching hooks,opposite end portions of said bands being detachably connected to saidarm.

5. A rollable toy comprising a hollow housing having opposed end wallseach provided at an axial central portion thereof with an aperture, theapertures at the respective ends being axially in alignment with eachother, an axially disposed shaft spanning the hollow portion within theconfines of said housing and having its end portions fitting into theirrespectively cooperating apertures, an arm disposed at right angles tosaid shaft and mounted on a portion of said shaft, a counterweightintegral with a lower end of said arm, said arm and counterweight beingdisposed within the confines of the hollow portion of said housing, apair of individual but like rubber bands also confined in said hollowportion and disposed one rubber band on one side of the shaft and theother rubber band on a diametrically opposite side of the shaft, atleast two hooks spaced from each other and fixedly mounted to assumepositions on diametrically opposite sides of said shaft, correspondingend portions of said rubber bands adjacent said hooks being detachablyconnected to their respective hooks, and means in said hollow portioncooperable with said hooks and said shaft for locating and operativelyassociating the other end portions of said rubber bands with said shaftand housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS508,558 Tate Nov. 14, 1893 672,889 Conant Apr. 30, 1901 967,352 EctonAug. 16, 1910 FOREIGN PATENTS 413,678 Italy May 21, 1946 810,605 GermanyAug. 13, 1951 1,029,487 France Mar. 4-, 1953

